


Cherno and Sunshine

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Series: Battle Scar Soldiers [10]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Athene Noctua Verse, Cherno Alpha is a Cute, F/M, Poetry, Romantic Fluff, Russian Literature, Sentient Jaegers, character birthday, platonic fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-10
Updated: 2015-04-10
Packaged: 2018-03-22 05:19:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3716626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sasha gets a little help from a mutual friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cherno and Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [puff22_2001](https://archiveofourown.org/users/puff22_2001/gifts), [knightphoenix2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightphoenix2/gifts).



> Okay, so we're lucky pickle and I email back and forth so often or this would be lost to the void. I accidentally deleted the first draft of this, panicked and then realized I'd sent most of it to pickle via email and it could be recovered to a certain point. 
> 
> *wipes nervous sweat away* 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

**-January 30, 2021-**

_Alpha_ floats into Papa's dreams purring softly, helping Mama soothe the Kaiju nightmare bubbling there.

Slowly Papa's dream flows to a place of laughter and good food and _home-safe_.

Sure Papa will sleep well, _Alpha_ flickers off to Baba's tablet humming the Ukrainian national anthem. He triggers the tablet's message alert as quietly as he can. He does not want to upset Baba's work on the Breach emergence equation.

The man turns to face his tablet, a frown creasing his brow.

 _Alpha_ whines softly as he debates whether or not asking Mama would be a better choice. **_Baba? You have time to speak now?_**

Baba sits down and massages his knee as he settles in the chair. _Alpha?_ he types. _This is a surprise. It is quite early in the morning._

 ** _I am ... disrupting?_**

Baba gives a small smile as he pats the tablet. _Not at all._

_Alpha_ purrs as his coding warms under the attention.

_I do appreciate all of you and I did need a tea break. One moment please._

_Alpha_ giggles as he weaves himself deeper into the tablet's code and pops open a messaging program. 

_Perhaps I shall have star anise this morning .... What do you think I should eat for breakfast?_

**_Porridge!_** Baba laughs at that, the fondness in his eyes leaving _Alpha_ glowing like a firework. **_With eggs?_**

 _Ah. It **has** been quite some time since I've had a decent Russian breakfast. Thank you for the suggestion. Now, Alpha, darling, what was your question?_ Baba is very soft as he types his response onto the tablet screen.

 ** _Papa's birthday is soon. Don't know what to get him that will arrive on time,_** _Alpha_ says with a burst of helplessness.

In her sleep, Mama reaches to comfort him.

 _Gipsy_ slips in and among his data in a cuddle. **Y'okay, Alpha?** she murmurs drowsily.

 _Alpha_ washes fondness down their private link. **_Hmm, I am good. Sleep._** He cradles _Gipsy_ in his much thicker data until she falls back into _slow-steady-sleep_. 

_Oh? Time does fly. Have you thought of possible gifts?_ Baba asks before he scoops up the tablet, making sure it falls into standby, as he walks to the cafeteria. 

Baba taps the tablet awake to see _Alpha_ 's reply, his tea curling steam as he takes a bite of porridge. The eggs are right next to the bowl, as _Alpha_ suspected they would be. 

**_Tea or coffee. Coyote said he would help if it was material,_** _Alpha_ offers, glowing at Mama's certain happiness at nice cup of tea with Papa on his special day. **_I want it to be ... meaningful, da?_**

Baba sips his tea thoughtfully.

 ** _My human ID is almost ready,_** _Alpha_ offers. 

_That is good news about your ID. As for a gift, might I suggest a new volume of poetry? I do have one of your Papa's._ Baba pauses, digs around in the coat _Alpha_ knows came from Papa, and comes up with a well-worn hardback. _This title holds sentimental value for him and he will appreciate anything from you, I am quite sure._

"Yīshēng Gottlieb, may I sit here?" asks one of Typhoon's techs, if Alpha is any judge. The dragon is a dead giveaway. 

"You may," Baba inclines his head in permission. 

The shorter human takes their place and attacks their breakfast.

**_Thank you Baba. Now ... to find delivery service._ **

_Good luck, Alpha. Tell your Papa I wish him a happy birthday and that he remains in good health._ The soft golden eyes flare green, the tapetum lucidum shining from the angle _Alpha_ has as Baba cracks his eggs with his stirring spoon. 

**_Yes, Baba. Love you._ **

Baba flushes a shade of pink Mama called a blush.

 _Alpha_ giggles as the tech studiously looks elsewhere. **_Bye._**

 _Goodbye, darling._ The pink fades slightly as Baba double-taps the message app to hide it.

 _Alpha_ hums at the touch, soaking in the faint changes in the tablet's electrical field as Baba carefully traces his fingertips over the screen as he eats.

* * *

_Alpha_ presses against Mama's edge of the Bond, sending a visual of a cat head-butting their owner's hand. **_Mama?_**

 **Yes, Jaeger child?** Mama's presence is _warm-fur-steel_ and she envelopes him in a hug. **You have something to ask?**

**_Da. Tea, coffee or book for Papa?_** _Alpha_ purrs as Mama's warmth surrounds him. 

**Ah. You are very sweet, little one,** Mama croons as she passes _admiration-agreement_ down the Bond with a thick wash of love right behind it. **Did your siblings help?**

**_No, Baba did._** _Alpha_ sends the memory and Mama laughs as she cradles him. 

**Little bird is lonely but not entirely alone. I am glad the Jaegers are very affectionate.** Mama sighs as a flicker of a memory slips down the Bond; Baba on his own in a cold place much like Vladivostok, shoulders hunched as he eats alone. **It is good you keep him company.**

**_We love Baba. We must talk and make sure we keep a watch over him,_** _Alpha_ hums as he plans that meeting while listening to Mama. 

**I know, sladkiy okhotnik. He needs you as much as we do,** she murmurs as she soothes Papa deeper into sleep. **I know where we can find a new copy of my bear's book. Come.**

* * *

After Mama receives clearance to leave the Shatterdome for the city, _Alpha_ joins her. 

Mama has escorts, but they are very ... discreet. She can take care of herself, after all. Mama's breath curls into the air like fog.

 _Alpha_ hums softly, a tune that _Gipsy_ had overheard while skipping through the web. 

**What is that?** Mama asks.

 _Alpha_ stops, twists his data into a nervous knot.

 **No, no, it's alright. I just wanted to know where you heard it.** She smooths down his ruffled emotions and pulses back _calm-safe-warm_. 

**_Gipsy heard it on the web,_** he replies, stretching himself to touch Papa. 

Papa gives back _love-happy-light_. 

**Ah. Continue, please?**

_Alpha_ giggles as Mama's sweetness tickles as he picks up the tune again.

 **You don't have to stop when your Papa and I ask you something, little okhotnik.**

**_I do not want to cause you trouble. You are busy. Kaiju, public appearances, official meetings—_**

**Oh, Alpha. You're _always_ welcome. We want you to bother us during those meetings; they're so boring that your Papa and I have taken to betting on which Suit will say 'Kaiju' more often,** Mama croons as she gathers him up in a hug. _Alpha_ drowns in a wave of _whitecoats-impossible-pain_ chokes _Alpha_ before Mama cuddles him more tightly. **Never doubt that you are wanted.**

**_Yes Mama._** _Alpha_ threads himself through Mama, both of them glowing happily as Mama enters the book store. ****__

**Da, little one. Books have a _warmth-home_ smell all their own.**

**_Mm-hmm! May we get more than one?_** _Alpha_ asks, reading some of the titles. 

Mama laughs aloud; other customers turn to look.

«May I help you, madam?» an older human (so small compared to Papa and Mama!) asks in a soft voice. 

«Yes. I need Anna Ahkmatova's complete works, volumes I through IV.» 

«A fine choice,» the man gives a slight nod as he wanders away, leaving Mama and _Alpha_ alone with the books. 

Mama trails her fingers down the spines, some worn, some not.

 _Alpha_ purrs as a title catches his attention. **_Can we get this one?_** He sends the image.

She turns to the proper shelf and uses her index finger to coax it from the shelf. The book is a bit battered but still very much readable. 

**_The Blue Sword_. Interesting title, little one. Let us see the back.** Mama scans the summary and tucks the book under her arm, her fingertips grazing the sci-fi and fantasy books. **What about this one?** She pulls down a book with dragons on the cover. 

**_Dragonriders of Pern? I like to read new things._**

**Then we will get books for you and Aleksis. These two and your Papa's books in separate bags, hmm?**

**_Perfect!_**

**And we will ask our Squire to acquire tea or chocolate for my bear. That is her job, yes?**

**_Squire?_ **

**Nika is our Squire. She makes things run smoothly.**

Visuals bloom of a very pretty dark-haired woman, her lips painted with the same red lipstick as Mama's.

 **She is very good at her job. Nika likes order.** Mama snorts. **I _might_ pity the triplets if they cross her.**

The woman's dark eyes take _Alpha_ 's measure. The latency is minimal but Nika's gait is uneven, _Alpha_ notes, and he silently presses _question_ across the Bond. 

**She lost her leg to a Mongolian gray wolf. The wolf lost its life,** Mama states with a flash of dry humor. **She has a prosthetic but she does not let it slow her.**

**_I admire her._**

**We all do. She's also our spare pilot if Papa or I am injured.**

**_No ,_** _Alpha_ growls. **_I will kill Kaiju before it touches you._**

**Alpha ....**

**_I will not allow it._**

**Alpha, little okhotnik.** Mama centers him, pulses _love-affection-exasperation_ down the Bond. **We're not immortal. Whether we die fighting Kaiju or of other things ... death is not something you can fight and win.**

_Alpha_ whines, but concedes, **_Yes, Mama. Will try hard to make sure Mama and Papa live a very, very long time. Longer than there are Kaiju._**

**I love you but you are very stubborn, hmm?**

**_Yes._ **

Mama laughs over the link and shares something with Papa which causes Papa's amusement to flood their Bond.

* * *

_Alpha_ waits in Mama's tablet, admiring the Jaeger stickers which decorate its opaque backing. The casing is very thin and _Lucky_ showed him how to see the stickies with UV light. He hums as he brushes each: _Horizon Brave I_ (paper says they are best team; _Alpha_ pulses **hmph!** ), _Shaolin Rogue_ , _Tacit Ronin_ , _Eden Assassin_ , _Nova Hyperion_. 

So many teams Mama and Papa have met! 

_Alpha_ glows happily when _Striker_ 's sticker shows up in infrared as well as UV. _Echo Saber_ , _Coyote Tango_ , _Brawler Yukon_ (from Mama and Papa's days at the Academy!), _Romeo Blue_ , _Gipsy Danger_ (the last two sent by Baba), _Lucky Seven_ (sent by unhappy _Striker_ pilot to Baba who sent it even further) and latest addition, _Vulcan Specter_. 

He has mixed emotions about that one. They'd dropped with _Vulcan Specter_ and oh Mama had been very angry with them. Papa's anger was quieter, certainly, but still radiated from him in waves.

Neither _Specter_ pilot had even bothered to pick a fight with Mama **or** Papa; _Lucky_ had passed information that they fought nearly every team they came across. But... It seemed like Mama and Papa had put the fear of _Cherno_ in the brothers.

 _Alpha_ squeaks when Papa wakes, then purrs in a loving embrace that includes Mama. 

_Good morning, Alpha._

**_Papa! You're awake early._** _Alpha_ curls into Papa's support, fluttering with curiosity as Papa turns on the tiny stove to cook.

Mama is still asleep.

Alpha softly presses _question_. 

_My sunshine deserves as much attention as I do, hmm, little okhotnik?_

**_Why so early?_ **

_That is our secret, Alpha. Can you keep it?_ Papa asks seriously but with a _sweet-flutter-warmth_ flavor. 

**_Da,_** _Alpha_ hums as he monitors Mama's still sleepy presence. 

_I want to take Mama out for dinner and nice star-gazing. Spoil her._

**_But ... is your birthday,_** _Alpha_ states quietly. 

_True. I'm sure you and Mama have something up your sleeves,_ Papa declares with a smile, walking back to Mama and curling around her while the water boils for breakfast. He presses kisses along her neck and— 

Alpha knows where _that_ is going. He squeaks as he flees to Baba's tablet, Mama and Papa's laughter chasing him along the closing link.

* * *

When he slides back into the Bond, Mama is giggling from whiskery kisses. Both she and Papa radiate bliss, tangled in each other.

 _Alpha_ avoids thinking of the reason why. 

_Alpha has returned, sunshine,_ Papa hums as they eat. 

**Hello, little one. Did you have any sibling time?**

**_Yes. Gipsy and I beat a guild in Coyote's game. Brawler knocked out their leader; he said we are getting better. Almost good enough to join big guild! Romeo said he was very proud,_** _Alpha_ rattles off with flashes of battles. 

_Good, very good. Sunshine?_ Papa asks Mama.

 _Alpha_ listens. 

**Yes, my bear.** Mama is _fondness-tender-teasing_ as she answers. 

_Would you like to go out for dinner and star-gaze?_ Papa inquires with a splash of _soft-adoration_.

«Aleksis ....» Mama rolls her eyes and giggles. Papa flutters his eyelashes. «Very well,» sighs Mama.

«Good, good. You have an appointment with Nika's stylist at eleven and Nika herself at two for your nails,» Papa rumbles as he cards his fingers through Mama's thick strands. «Is that okay?» 

«Oh, Aleksis, you spoil me so.» 

«I have a mini-spa day and so should you. The repair crew gave me a certificate. I will be just as groomed as you, darling.» He punctuates the promise with a kiss. 

«Well, then, Alpha and I should be going, hmm?»

* * *

Mama is poised gracefully at the bottom of the staircase, dressed to kill in a sparkling floor-length crimson gown and wrapped in a rabbit-fur stole. Her blood red lips curve into a smile that matches Papa's when he offers her his elbow. Every eye in the room watches her as she sashays up the thickly carpeted stairs in black stiletto heels. 

Nika did an incredible job with his Mama if _Alpha_ has any say. 

Mama checks her wrap, links her arm with Papa's, and approaches the hostess.

The young woman flushes as Mama and Papa near. She licks her lips nervously, says, «Reservations?» 

«Two under 'Kaidanovsky',» Papa murmurs, smiling sweetly. 

Tension drains from the hostess's face. «We have you seated at Table Eight, in the center. Would you, um, prefer a more private table?» she offers, her cheeks pinking again. 

«That place suits us perfectly.» Mama allows the hostess to lead them to the table, walking serenely. «Poor thing,» she says in Ukrainian. «Did you see her blushing?» 

The waiter hovers nervously as Mama hands Papa her purse and pulls out his seat, settling him before seeing her own chair.

«She was looking at you, sunshine,» Papa chuckles.

«Oh, really,» purrs Mama. «Are you sure she wasn't admiring you?»

« _Very_ sure.» Papa's eyes crinkle. «She didn't even see me.»

A throat clears beside Papa.

Mama and Papa glance up.

«I am your waiter for tonight, Yvanko,» announces a trim young man in Russian. He addresses Papa: «May I offer you a glass of our house wine?»

 _Alpha_ snickers. 

«We'll be having the 1946 vodka,» Mama orders with a smirk, «and ... one moment.» She looks to Papa as she switches to Ukrainian. «What do you feel like eating?» 

Papa smiles. «The farmed lobster sounds delicious,» he replies as he scans the menu. «They have my favorite. Wonderful.»

 _Alpha_ tastes medovik through the Bond.

«Then that is what you shall have. Only the best for my bear, hmm?» Mama croons with a tender look at Papa. To the waiter, in Russian, she says, «Two orders of lobster and the honey cake.» 

«Anything else, Madame?» 

«No,» Mama assures the man. She dismisses the waiter with a nod and turns to Papa. «Did you have a good time at the spa?»

«Of course!» laughs Papa. «They buried me in mud.» 

Heads turn at the sound. 

«I thoroughly enjoyed it. I shall have to bring you next time. What were you two up to while I was gone?» 

«That is our secret for now, Aleksis.»

«You were not out shopping for that marvelous dress?» Papa asks with a tilt of his head. 

«This?» Mama looks down at herself. «Nika had it hiding at the back of her closet and swore I would wear it better than her.» She winks coyly.

Papa gives her a fond look in return. 

«And the heels, sunshine?» Papa asks, gesturing for one of her feet.

She offers it. «I was saving them for a special occasion like tonight,» she replies as she turns her ankle in the golden light. «They also double as weaponry. Nika showed me how to—» 

«Ah. She is triple-prepared, our Squire. There is no need for it, but **'just in case'** is Nika's motto,» Papa remarks dryly, releasing Mama's foot.

The water, vodka, and lobster arrive at their appointed times and Mama and Papa share a pleasant meal quoting pieces of poems to each other in both Ukrainian and Russian. 

_Alpha_ knows that, to watching eyes, Mama and Papa look like any other couple enjoying a night out. 

The honey cake arrives bearing a tiny candle and the restaurant staff sing a quiet "Happy Birthday" to Papa. 

«Your gifts are in my purse under the touch-up kit. Little One and I prepared in advance,» Mama divulges with _pride-pleasure-affection_. 

«You did?» Papa lifts out the packages and unwraps them gently. «Anna Ahkmatova's complete works. You went book shopping with our little okhotnik?»

«A little bird suggested it to him and he asked for my help in getting the volumes. The chocolate is my gift.» She hums as Papa leans over the table to give her a very sweet kiss. «Now, cake and then that star-gazing you mentioned.» 

«Of course, my sunshine.»

* * *

The stars are plentiful, the fog having lifted for the moment. 

_Alpha_ hums as he uses the camera function to view the stars with Mama and Papa. _Gipsy_ slips into the phone and twines herself through _Alpha_ 's data. 

**_Gipsy?_ **

_Mmm._

**_I think today was a good day._ **

_It sure was. Better than Raleigh's birthday last year._ Flickers of nightmares like Papa's slip from _Gipsy_. She pulls them back and buries them within her data. _He'll heal but ... it'll take time. And that's one thing not on our side._

 ** _We should enjoy what we have, I think. Your Left, he is alive and breathing,_** _Alpha_ offers as they further entangle themselves. **_Mama and Papa at least are not sick like Coyote's first bond-mates. We are well-off._**

_ Maybe. Coyote was right, I guess. _

_Alpha_ pulses _question_.

_ He said we all might lose our physical bodies and maybe even more. _

**_Then we are lucky to have pilots and maybe a chance for something more,_** _Alpha_ murmurs.

He presses as much love as he can down the Bond with Mama and Papa, bathes in their wash of love. 

Yes, he might not have much but it is more than enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Gahhh. This thing almost didn't make it. Feedback would be lovely~


End file.
